Fluids based on fluorocarbon compounds are widely used in vapor-compression heat transfer systems, especially air-conditioning, heat-pump, refrigerator or freezer devices. The common feature of these devices is that they are based on a thermodynamic cycle comprising vaporization of the fluid at low pressure (in which the fluid absorbs heat); compression of the vaporized fluid up to a high pressure; condensation of the vaporized fluid to liquid at high pressure (in which the fluid expels heat); and depressurization of the fluid to complete the cycle.
The choice of a heat transfer fluid (which may be a pure compound or a mixture of compounds) is dictated firstly by the thermodynamic properties of the fluid, and secondly by additional constraints. Thus, a particularly important criterion is the impact of the fluid under consideration on the environment. In particular, chlorinated compounds (chlorofluorocarbons and hydrochlorofluorocarbons) have the drawback of damaging the ozone layer. Non-chlorinated compounds such as hydrofluorocarbons, fluoroethers and fluoroolefins are therefore now generally preferred to chlorinated compounds.
Heat transfer fluids that are currently used are HFC-134a, R404a (ternary mixture of 52% HFC-143a, 44% HFC-125 and 4% HFC-134a) and R407c (ternary mixture of 52% HFC-134a, 25% HFC-125 and 23% HFC-32).
It is, however, necessary to develop other heat transfer fluids that have a lower global warming potential (GWP) than that of the above fluids, and which have equivalent and preferably improved performance qualities.
Document US 2009/0 250 650 describes various fluoroolefin-based compositions and their use as heat transfer fluids. In particular, the document describes the mixture consisting of HFC-32, HFC-125 and HFO-1234ze and also the mixture consisting of HFC-32, HFC-125 and HFO-1234yf. The compositions indicated as being preferred are the following:                23% HFC-32, 25% HFC-125 and 52% HFO-1234ze;        30% HFC-32, 50% HFC-125 and 20% HFO-1234ze;        40% HFC-32, 50% HFC-125 and 10% HFO-1234yf;        23% HFC-32, 25% HFC-125 and 52% HFO-1234yf;        15% HFC-32, 45% HFC-125 and 40% HFO-1234yf; and        10% HFC-32, 60% HFC-125 and 30% HFO-1234yf.        
Document WO 2010/002 014 describes a non-flammable coolant based on HFC-32, HFC-125 and HFO-1234yf. Several compositions are disclosed and especially that comprising 15% HFC-32, 25% HFC-125 and 60% HFO-1234yf.
However, there is still a need to develop other heat transfer fluids that have a relatively low GWP and that have better energy performance qualities than the heat transfer fluids of the prior art.